


A Challenge

by GenericUsername01



Series: Chess Games [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Chess, Gen, im using that as a general warning, references to Jim’s past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-05-16 07:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14806686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenericUsername01/pseuds/GenericUsername01
Summary: “I would like to play again, if it is agreeable to you,” Spock said. “Please.”“You actually gonna try this time?” Jim asked.He nodded. “I shall give the endeavor the best of my efforts.”





	A Challenge

They reset the board in silence and Jim— in a surge of pettiness— spun the board so that Spock was playing white and he was playing black.

Spock pursed his lips at the implied insult but said nothing.

He made the first move, king’s pawn forward two.

Jim moved knight B1 to C3.

Three moves later, he makes the first capture— Spock’s _bishop_ , for god’s sake— and the game begins for real.

They played in silence for five minutes. Spock takes a completely unnecessary length of time to look at the board before each move, and Jim drums his fingers in impatience and plots out his next three to five moves ahead, moving his pieces the second Spock lets go of his. And then waiting.

Finally Spock can’t stand it anymore.

”I would like to know how it was that you were able to beat to me during our last game.”

Jim gave him a dry look. “Very simple, Spock. You threw the game.”

”I did not. I would like to know how you were able to cheat, as I have deduced this as being the only logical explanation. No one has beaten me at chess since I was 7.3 Terran years old.”

”Spock, you can give it up. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to cheat at chess. Unless you’re a mind reader. Which you are and I’m not.”

”Nevertheless, I am certain you were able to come up with a method.”

”To read your mind?” he asked incredulously.

”To cheat,” Spock clarified. Jim rolled his eyes.

”If you think you’re gonna boost my ego by implying you’re some master chess player and I’m the only one who can beat you, you can forget it. I’m not gonna buy that. A human should not be able to beat a trained Vulcan follower of Surak in a game of logic.”

”Since you insist that you did not cheat somehow, then I must inform you that that is true under normal circumstances. However, you do not treat chess as a game of logic. Your strategy, if it even exists, is erratic, unpredictable, and thoroughly illogical.”

”So you admit I’m a shitty chess player.”

Spock cocked his head slightly. “Your self esteem is shockingly low.”

Jim’s hands curled into fists. He could get up. Just leave the table entirely. Clearly Old Spock had been wrong. There wasn’t going to be any fated, life-altering friendship between them in this timeline.

God, now Jim’s crush just seemed even more pathetic. Spock didn’t even like him platonically. He thought he was a stupid illogical human who somehow cheated at chess, because apparently Spock was never going to let go of the goddamn Kobayashi Maru incident.

He breathed in. He breathed out.

No. He had promised Spock one more game, and he actually was a man of his word, despite what some Vulcan First Officers believed. Spock was going to get his one last game.

”I don’t think that’s any of your business,” he said. Spock stiffened, spine straightening, and Jim moved pawn A3 to A4.

”I did not mean to cause offense,” he said.

”I know. You never do.” Which made it damn hard to stay mad at him, because he genuinely was just a socially awkward alien who didn’t understand human customs, didn’t know what was considered rude and what wasn’t.

”You truly did not cheat?”

”Spock, think about it logically. One, how the fuck would anyone cheat at chess? And two, _why_ would I cheat at chess and then get mad at you for throwing the game?”

Spock stared at him, considering. He nodded to himself.

He looked back down to the board for another extremely long pause and then moved queen H6 to F4.

”Who taught you to play?” he asked.

Jim’s blood ran cold and his heart caught in his throat.

Kodos. Kodos the Executioner. He took Jim under his wing as his personal little protege and they would play chess while they talked about philosophy and theoretical physics and classical literature.

Kodos had his own room set aside for him in the gubernatorial mansion. Jim would go there and do his studies at his own pace on topics he thought were interesting, and when Kodos was done with his work for the day, they would go into his office or eat dinner together. And they would play chess.

Jim never once beat him.

Spock is the only person he has played against since. He sort of fell out of love with the game for a while. Bad associations, ya know? 

And now Spock was playing it up like he was some sort of chess prodigy and not a guy who has won one game ever, in his life, because his opponent let him.

”Um, no one. I taught myself. Online.”

Spock arched an eyebrow like he could see straight through him, and Jim’s face heated.

“Have you ever participated in a tournament?”

He snorted. “Nah. No way am I good enough for that.”

Spock was blatantly staring at him now, the same way he stared at experiments in the lab. Jim moved a pawn without thinking, and Spock’s gaze redirected to the board. Thank god.

The conversation was dropped as they both focused back on the game. Another ten minutes passed, and then somehow they both ended up just down to their kings.

Draw game. Insufficient pieces, it’s impossible for a king to capture another king.

Jim leaned back in his chair, arms folded, and fixed his eyes on Spock, half-glaring.

”I told you to beat me.”

”I did try,” he said curtly. “I assure you I did not ‘throw the game,’ as you say. I played to the best of my capabilities, and this was the result. Believe me, I am as dismayed and displeased with the result as you are.”

His voice almost sounded _annoyed_.

Jim looked him over, thoroughly this time. His lips were pressed into a thin line. His posture was slightly less than perfect, inclining forward just a bit. There was a thread of tension in his shoulders if you knew to look for it.

This was Spock. Scrupulously honest to the last. Vulcans don’t lie, and especially not Spock. He hadn’t lost a game since he was first learning how to play when he was seven.

Until he met Jim. Then he had requested and been promised one and only one rematch, and he hadn’t won that either, and it was bugging the absolute hell out of him that he would never get another shot.

”I believe you,” Jim said, standing from the table. “Don’t know how it’s even possible, but I believe you.”

He walked away, and then hovered just inside the door to Spock’s quarters.

”I’ll be back next week. Bring your A-game.”

He let the door whoosh shut behind him.


End file.
